The new deadline date to enroll in the Destinations Club program at the current rates of $595 (for 1 ownership week) or $695 (for multiple weeks) is December 31, 2011. Marriott is still offering 800 bonus points for enrolling. Will Marriott raise the price after this date? I doubt it.
Multiple week owners are enrolling due to the cost savings on fees (oh yes, Marriott raised all of their fees $5-$10 in July) such as lock-off fees (now $80) and turn to Marriott Rewards points fees (now $119). And the benefits of booking timeshare reservations direct with Marriott using Vacation Club points.
Owners with 1-2 weeks are still on the fence as to the benefits of enrolling–as they should be. There is no clear cut answer as to whether enrollment is a wise decision. An analysis of how you travel and use your ownership and the fees you incur will help determine the answer.
Most owners have decided that purchasing the new Trust points is not beneficial. Trust points work exactly the same as Enrolled or Deeded points. The fear of not being able to book resorts in the “trust” inventory pool or the belief that being in a higher Club tier will offer more benefits to you, should not be a reason to purchase Trust points. The ONLY reason to purchase Trust points is if you would like additional timeshare time which is the same reason that you purchased your original deeded weeks. When you are at a Marriott sales presentation, keep this in mind: Purchase Trust points out of NEED–not FEAR!
